Bill Would Make 'Resort-Style' Casinos Legal in Georgia

ATLANTA, GA -- State Senator Brandon Beach has introduced a bill that would make the operation of two resort style casinos legal in Georgia.

Senate Bill 79, the Destination Resort Act, was introduced Thursday, Jan. 26 by the Alpharetta Republican. State Rep. Ron Stephens, a Republican from Savannah, introduced House Bill 158, the companion bill to the Senate legislation.

“Casino style gaming is a large tourism and revenue building market that Georgia is missing out on,” said Sen. Beach. “The two proposed destination resorts will not only bring tourism to our great state, they will bring more than 5,000 jobs and unparalleled capital that will go directly towards funding the HOPE Scholarship and other education programs in Georgia. This is a win-win situation and I’m eager to get the ball rolling on its passage.”

The Destination Resort Act would create the Georgia Gaming Commission, modeled after Nevada’s Gaming Commission. The commission would be made up of five members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the house.

The entity would have the ability to award two destination resort licenses to qualified applicants and will be responsible for governing over the operation of such resorts.

“My children earned a full ride to college with the HOPE Scholarship,” Rep. Stephens added. “I want my grandchildren to have the same opportunity, and S.B. 79 gives them that chance.”

One resort license must be utilized for operation in a county with a population over 900,000 with an investment of at least $2 billion, and it shall include a hotel with a minimum of 1,000 rooms. The other license must be for a county with a population of at least 250,000 but not more than 900,000, and an investment of at least $450 million.

Georgia's largest county is Fulton, with an estimated 1 million residents in 2015, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Gwinnett comes in second with a little more than 895,000 people, the Census Bureau states.

The multi-use resorts would include restaurants, retail shops, hotels, limited gaming facilities, convention and meeting centers, entertainment facilities and service centers. They will be privately funded and no taxpayer money will be utilized during construction or operation.

S.B. 79 would become effective on Jan. 1, 2019, if a Constitutional amendment is passed by the Georgia General Assembly and approved by voters in the 2018 general election.

Image via Georgia State Senate's Facebook page